The Rise of the Middle Class in "Pride and Prejudice"

Summary: Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is a tale of unrequited love in an oppressive Elizabethan society. But, at a deeper level, it also depicts the real-life societal clash between the era's rising middle class and the corrupt and decadent aristocracy.

Throughout the history of civilized nations, revolution has been the only true catalyst for change within the system of government. In America, our ancestors revolted against the British to gain independence. In France, the revolution of 1789 allowed the middle class to cast off the burden of the landed aristocracy and the clergy. In both cases, revolutionary ideas caused the creation of new and more popular orders. Many novels written during the late eighteenth century were representative of these revolutionary ideals. However, in order to have these novels published, the authors often had to cloak these ideas in facades. In the case of Jane Austen, not only did she have to publish Pride and Prejudice as a romantic novel, but she also had to write under an anonymous name. Thus, although Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice appears to be a struggle for romance in Elizabethan society, it actually portrays...